To Hell in a Handbasket – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
What will a wife do to protect her husband? In A Real Basket Case Claire sets out to prove that she didn’t sleep with her physical trainer and her husband didn’t kill him when he found him straddling her in bed. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to prove her and his innocence.

What will a mother do to protect her only daughter? In To Hell in a Handbasket Claire again refuses to let anything nor anyone stand in her way to prevent her daughter Judy from being , or worse… murdered.

Claire, Rodger and Judy Hanover are on a much needed ski vacation in Breckenridge, CO. Judy’s boyfriend, Nick Contino, his mother, father and sister Stephanie have joined them. What was supposed to be a relaxing couple of weeks went sour quickly when Stephanie has a skiing accident that takes her life. Was it really an accident? Claire believes not. And to prove her theory she tracks down the only person that actually saw what really happened. The information given to her by this young man not only puts herself into danger, it also makes Judy the killer’s next target.

I stayed on the edge of my seat as I followed Claire and Detective Owen Silverstone as they uncover the mystery of Stephanie’s death. As they uncover what really goes on behind closed doors in the Contino’s study. As they fit the puzzle pieces together after finding that the Russian mob is heavily involved with everything that has taken place, which includes a plan to kidnap Judy.

I loved Beth Groundwater’s style of writing when I read A Real Basket Case. After reading To Hell in a Handbasket I can have to say that “what I thought couldn’t get better did.” For a real mystery teaser, I recommend both books, in the order they were written… A Real Basket Case and To Hell in a Handbasket.

‘Dearest Ruth,
I am working tonight until midnight and will be thinking about you and wishing I could be by your side. To me it seems like eternity since the last time I saw you. Can’t help but remember what a soldier told me once, “This is a lonesome war.”
I’m a baby boomer so I was around during the Viet Nam war. Many of my friends were drafted, went off to fight this war and some didn’t come back. And many of those that did come back live to this day with the nightmares of what they went through and saw. With the problems going on in today’s world, many of us have friends and family serving in the military or know someone who does. We’re constantly seeing news reports about roadside bombings that have taken the life of one or more of our brave soldiers. We feel their pain as they deal with being miles away from family and friends. We also feel the pain of the families and friends knowing their loved ones are in such grave danger.
Letters from Heroes is exactly that… letters written to loved ones by soldiers fighting to help keep the world safe. As I read these letters I felt as if I was the one receiving them. Most letters were fairly upbeat but if you read between the lines you find feel the loneliness, hunger, sickness and fear. You also feel the dependency that each soldier places and accepts from their fellow soldiers who have become both their closest friends and protectors.
Letters from Heroes is a very touching book that will at times make you smile and cry. Read this book and you will read the true feelings of soldiers around the world as they do what they feel must be done to protect. These men and women are truly the real HEROES of the world.

Shifting in and out of reality, this inspirational story follows 12-year old John Greber, who with his mother, Ellie, suffer abuse at the hands of John’s father, whom he calls “The Beast.” The Beast abandons his family and kidnaps John’s six-year old sister, Marny. John vows revenge as he seeks to confront his father and rescue his sister.

Jeffrey B. Allen takes us on a fantastic journey into a Land where John and his mother become embroiled in a Civil War that could destroy the Land and the World, so John must tread carefully. This coming-of-age novel travels a totally different path than expected. With both poignancy and adventure, it proves that the strength of the human spirit can overcome all odds.

“There is a faint dream-like quality to this book, a metaphoric attribute as it deals with themes of friendship, loss, violence, courage, greed, innocence, selfishness and love. It is an adventure, an allegory, a bittersweet fantasy filled with subtle meaning and depth that never loses its appeal. GoneAway Into the Land is a captivating book with a creative narrative that quietly lures a reader into an original world that is fully realized and thoroughly absorbing. It transcends into a superb piece of fiction, and I recommend it highly.” – A.F. Stewart, author

Born: New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1953.

Jeffrey B. Allen graduated High School from Central Bucks East in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It was 1972.

He studied art at Bloomsburg University for two years before attending Boston University where he majored in European history and minored in set design and fine art. A one year hiatus in the form of a hitchhiking trip helped appease his restless and inquisitive nature. Allen attributes that early journey to laying the foundations for his strong views on politics and religion. Later, he traveled through Europe and Mexico forming some strong opinions concerning the relationship between history, politics and religion. “Those years of learning, searching, and questioning have contributed greatly to the philosophical depth of my writing.”

Allen graduated from Millersville State University in architectural design and taught for two years while also working toward his Masters Degree at Temple University in Philadelphia. After a brief teaching career, he created his own architectural woodworking firm in 1981.

By 1982, Allen was owner and president of Artistic Furnishings Incorporated, a design house and a manufacturer of custom architectural millwork. The company employed designers, artisans and support staff. His work can be seen throughout eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey in private residences and businesses. During those years he traveled at home and abroad and studied the architectural works, both classical and modern, within every city he visited. “The inventiveness of the architect and the genius of the structural engineer always amazed me; so many of the nuances of history can be discovered within the architecture of civilized man.”

In 1996 Allen received his fifty-ton US Coastguard captain’s license and followed that with extensive sailing adventures and chartered voyages. In 2006 Allen received the Holt Businessman-of-the-Year award. In 2007 Allen sold his architectural woodworking business and soon after published his first Novel, GoneAway Into the Land. He writes as the Interior Design Specialist for the Lehigh Valley Examiner and contributes articles as an expert author for publication through Ezine Articles and other internet sites. Allen is currently working with a new publisher and expects his second novel, Beneath the Quarry Waters, to be published in early 2010.

Today, Jeffrey Allen resides in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he consults in the field of interior space planning, although most of his time is devoted to writing.

Crucifying Angel. When P.I. Barrington asked me to read her newest thriller I had no idea what I was getting into. Crucifying Angel is not your run of the mill serial killer. This book takes the reader into the future as in 2032. The criminals are still the same. They still kill, maim and generally make life miserable for the rest of the world. The method of solving those crimes is quite different. Ms. Barrington blends the future with the present and makes a spellbinding read. She gives many layers to her main characters, Payce the female American Detective and her British Counterpart Gavin. These two characters play off of each other and create a dialogue that keeps the reader turning the page not just to see “who done it” but to also see if these two conflicted people can find a middle ground for the passion they find themselves feeling for each other. Ms. Barrington plays the reader like a finely tuned piano with the twists and turns and the undercurrent of electricity of Det. Payce and Det Gavin. She then adds the timpani of the serial killer and his misguided reasons for what he does. Crucifying Angel is absolutely a must read, but beware, you will have to get the next installment. The best is yet to come. Defiantly a five star read.

‘Her next dream was a nightmare. Tempe knew she was on the reservation, but it was different looking as familiar places often are in dreams. The buildings all seemed dilapidated and badly in need of repair through she couldn’t see them clearly because of a swirling grayish-yellow mist surrounded everything. Jagged black mountain peaks poked through the clouds. Though she was alone a feeling of menace was so prevalent, she could almost smell it.

Without warning, a large man who resembled Cruz Murphy stepped out of the fog. He held up a hand, palm out. “Stop. Danger ahead.”‘

Lilia Quintera is a Tulare County Supervisor who won her election due to her being a descendant of both Mexican and Native American. She was a big help in bringing a casino to the reservation, allowing jobs and a better life for those living on the reservation as well as the city. But when she is put into a position to support the proposal of a new hotel with a golf course and all the amenities that go with it, she refuses to conform to their plans without more research on it’s effect on the community. So when Lilia Quintera dies from what seems to be natural causes, Tempe Crabtree is brought in to help gather clues and evidence pending the autopsy.

Who would want Lilia dead? Her husband Wade, who is several years younger as well as a ladies man and may gain from her death through inheritance is a suspect. Her sister Connie, who’s daughter Suzy at the advice of Lilia, will be moving to a residential facility called Shadow Hills, Shadow Hills will house young ladies who are mentally challenged. Plus, feelings of jealousy for all of the decisions as to the welfare of Suzy might make Connie want to see Lilia dead, making her a suspect. There is Duane Whitney who lives in the neighborhood where Shadow Hill will open. He feels it will bring down the value of his property, so with Lilia publicly supporting the facility may make him want her dead, making him another suspect. And then there are the Native Americans who feel that Lilia should support the building of the Hotel, feeling it will bring more opportunities for the reservation. Many of them can be considered suspects.

Follow Tempe as she sorts through the facts and gossip, as she encounters the hostility of those on her on her list of suspects, as she sorts through the clues hidden in her own dreams and as she tries to understand the role that Hairy Man plays into it all . Is he real or just a fable?

I’ve enjoyed this book so much, with it’s mystery as well as history, that I find myself wanting to learn even more about the myths and fables of the American Indians.

Winds of Gold by Jessa Lee Scott (pseudonym) synopsis: Kyndra Bailey inherits Faircliffe Plantation and is caught in an intricate web of secrets and deception when her brother disappears and her uncle spends her inheritance. With the loss of Faircliffe looming, Kyndra is forced to ask for help from handsome and mysterious Tyler Andrews. From antebellum Richmond to the Santa Fe Trail, Kyndra and Tyler are entangled in danger, adventure, and passion as they search for Kyndra’s brother and a fortune in gold, silver, and jewels. Knowing that Tyler must return to Texas and Kyndra will return to her beloved Faircliffe, their love seems doomed from the start. Yet as the clues draw them ever deeper into the mystery of Beale’s Treasure, their passion cannot be denied. The treasure may be lost forever but will Kyndra and Tyler be lost to each other forever or is their love strong enough to keep them together? According to legend, Thomas Jefferson Beale and twenty-nine Virginians left Lynchburg, VA, in 1817 to hunt on the Western plains. They found gold and silver north of Santa Fe, and two loads were taken back to Virginia to be buried in Bedford County. Each shipment was to be hidden until all of the treasure was transported and could be divided among the men in the party. During his second trip to Lynchburg in 1822, Beale left a letter and three coded messages with Robert Morris, an innkeeper in Lynchburg, with instructions that Morris should read the papers and act accordingly if Beale didn’t return within ten years. When Beale failed to reappear, Morris and others subsequently attempted to break the codes. One message has been deciphered and it lists the contents of the buried treasure, which would be worth millions of dollars in today’s market. The second and third messages supposedly give the names of those in Beale’s party, and the precise location of the treasure in Bedford County, Virginia. These unbroken messages have stumped both experts and amateurs; even the most sophisticated computers have failed to produce the key. Much has been written about Beale’s Treasure. For more than a hundred years people from far and wide have descended upon Bedford County to search for a lost fortune of gold, silver and jewels. Believers can find ample evidence to support the story while skeptics can find discrepancies that convince them it is a hoax. There is a national organization of people who are working on those two coded messages.

Self Defense for Survival: The Road to Empowerment by Leslie Bowman Synopsis Women have all sorts of excuses for not learning to defend themselves. Among them are not having enough time, not being in good shape physically, having various medical conditions, not wanting to learn martial arts, and the worst of all-IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO ME. This book includes statistics that show how easily violence can and does happen and it also teaches awareness in order to prevent violence. Sometimes people become victims of violent acts no matter how careful or aware of potential danger they may be. In cases like this, self-defense survival strategies can save a life. The prevention strategies and self-defense survival techniques in this book are suitable for women and children of all ages. With education and awareness, you can increase your self-confidence and learn to prevent and avoid potential violence attacks.

‘After hearing our account of the gruesome events, the seamen aboard the Santa Ynez were convinced, along with their captain, that the devil’s minions had possessed the Solitario. Their captain decided the Solitario had to be destroyed at once, before the demons could escape to the Santa Ynez. We objected since the hold was filled with gold bound for Queen Isabella. But fear was on the face of every man – fear that this malady would transport them to hell if they dared touch the gold. They were convinced that the gold carried the evil. We could object no more, for fear of our own lives. So the captain ordered the crew to burn the Solitario. They kindled wood and pitch torches and threw them onto the Solitario, where the sails and rigging caught fire immediately. We watched as the Solitario burned quickly. We shall never forget the last screams of the damned. It was as if the demon’s own hand reached upward from the depths and grasped the flaming ship to thrust it into hell.’

The cargo of gold, mentioned above, had an estimated value of thirty million dollars in 1502 with it’s value being well over a billion today. Jac Kidd, who is a distant off-spring of the famous Captain Kidd, was determined to find the gold and learn what really happened during it fatal transport to Queen Isabella. So, when a gold cross dating back to the 1500’s is found on a beach in Hawaii, he and his best friend/partner Pericles Schmoond strike out to solve the puzzle of the missing gold.

In Golden Conspiracy, Glider takes you from Hawaii, the Caribbeans and on into South America as they follow the clues. But they aren’t alone in their quest. As they will soon find out, ex-KGB Garth Moska, who Kidd thought was killed when a ship he and Moska were on blew up off the coast of England, is right behind them.

When I first started reading Golden Conspiracy I had my doubts as to whether I would like it or not. But the more I read, the harder it was for me to put down. The turn of each page increased my desire to read the next. This was truly a very enjoyable book.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Type of Cook Book – Highly Recommended!, October 13, 2009
By CFH “chillnhill” (Blue Ridge Summit, PA USA) – See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)
“Stir, Laugh, Repeat” is more than a just a great collection of practical recipes. In many cases, Martha Cheves has added personal comments and stories relating to the dish and has is also populated helpful tips after each recipe.

The structure of the book is different than I am used to seeing since there isn’t a Table of Contents and the recipes are all mix up, with no real order. This was done to encourage the reader to actually read through the whole the book. Thankfully there is an Index so you can find the ones you like later.

Since I work from home most of the time and my wife works at our shop, I have been trying to make a few meals a week. This book has a lot of recipes that can actually be followed by someone with my limited skills. Also, since I am not an expert in the kitchen, the included hints are very welcome and have taught me some very handy cooking tricks.

As you read the excerpt below, picture a group of elderly ladies, all members of the Shamrock Historical Society due to their ancestors and proud of it. Picture these ladies standing in the middle of a cow pasture as they search for a grave that has been long forgotten. And now listen as they reminisce about another outing that took them in search of a grave from the past.

Dorothy grimaced. “Remember that time we had to sneak into that abandoned cemetery out by Salisbury? Those terrible dogs! I’m not sure what w would’ve done if Mr. Hawkins hadn’t been with us. He took that bite like a man.”

“After that, the dogs seemed fine with us being there.” Annabelle shrugged.

“But poor Mr. Hawkins had to have rabies shots. He was such a gentleman about it.”

Peggy is the owner of a garden shop called the Potting Shed located in Center City, Charlotte. She’s also a part-time forensic botanist for the Charlotte Police Department. When her mother, Lilla, talks her into joining the Shamrock Historical Society and their quest to rescue bones that have been buried under Lake Whitley for years, she didn’t expect to discover the body of one of the Society’s own members, Lois Mullis, who also turns out to be the Aunt of the Police Chief. Was it accidental or murder? The Chief believes it was an accident. The members of the Shamrock Historical Society believe it was murder and they put their faith in Peggy to prove them right and to find the killer.

A Corpse for Yew is a book of humor and mystery, as well as a book that spiked my interest in plants. Joyce and Jim Lavene provide a description of the plants as they are introduced into each chapter, giving you a little history of the plant’s origin and it’s uses. As they introduced each member of the Shamrock Historical Society, I found myself picturing each lady perfectly. When I put the mental pictures of these ladies together to form the full group, I could see their every move as they persuaded Peggy to help them find the killer of their friend. And with my living in Charlotte, NC, I knew almost every location visited by Peggy and her group of ladies.

A Corpse for You is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in some time. It became a real mystery as I tried to decide who would want to harm the late Mrs. Mullis. But with it’s humor, it was a very relaxing book to read.

Like this:

The recipes in this book are the treasured kind of American home cooking you find in regional church cookbooks. (Artichoke chicken, fried pickles, chikin’n’dumplins, chicken-fried beef tips.) Note; not diet food. But these are great for covered-dish events or when nothing but “mommy-food” will soothe your jagged nerves.

The humor is genuine, the anecdotes are fun (my fave, using horse corn to make creamed corn.)

This book could be your secret recipe horde to impress the potluck crowd.

The Mammalian Way by Gary James
From holding hands as you walk through the park to murder-suicide, “The Mammalian Way” plays a role in all human relationships past the age of puberty. Learn the attributes of this Social Theory to gain better relationships and to live a safer more pleasu
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